F1 Commission backs plan to cut race distances by 15km in 2027

Formula 1's Commission has given its backing to a plan that will shorten grand prix distances by 15km from the 2027 season, according to Autosport.

The change, agreed during Monday's meeting in London, will see the standard race distance reduced from 305km to 290km.

The move is designed to align race lengths with the sport's revised power unit regulations due to arrive for the 2027 campaign, Autosport reports.

It still requires ratification from the FIA's World Motor Sport Council before it can be formally written into the rulebook, a step that has not yet taken place.

According to Autosport, the primary motivation behind the reduction is cost. Shorter races place less demand on power units and components, which in turn can ease the financial burden on teams competing under the sport's cost cap.

Formula 1 has spent recent seasons trying to balance competitive spectacle with financial sustainability, and the next generation of power units - due in 2027 - has been a central part of that planning.

Monday's decision by the Commission represents the latest step in preparing the sporting and technical framework around that engine overhaul, rather than a standalone change to race weekends.

With the power unit rules for 2027 still being finalised, this adjustment to race distance is one of several regulatory pieces the sport is fitting together ahead of the new era.

Confirmation from the World Motor Sport Council is the next formal hurdle before the shorter races can be locked in for the 2027 calendar.

Further detail on how the change will affect specific circuits, and on the wider 2027 power unit package, is expected as the FIA moves toward final sign-off.